Chapter 9: Mission Begin
"I'll look into the clan archives about the Sharingan issue and see if there's anything that might help," said Uchiha Fugaku, his brows furrowed.
Strangely enough, Fugaku now seemed more concerned about Yusuke's inability to awaken the Sharingan than Yusuke himself. To Fugaku, lacking the Sharingan meant a hard cap on Yusuke's future potential. With the Uchiha clan in a precarious position, envy and pride had no place in his mind anymore. Strengthening every member of the clan was now his top priority.
"I appreciate it. As for Itachi's training, I'll be starting immediately. I want to lay a solid foundation for him before I head out on a mission in three days. It'll likely be a long-term assignment," Yusuke replied.
"A mission in three days?" Fugaku's brows tightened further, practically forming the kanji for 'river' (川). "Don't tell me… you're accompanying Danzo to the Hidden Rain Village for negotiations?"
Yusuke nodded. "That's right. I'm going as a representative of the Third Hokage to oversee the negotiations."
Fugaku's expression turned grave. "You'd better be careful. Danzo is a ruthless man, and he's always had a deep prejudice against our Uchiha clan. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to use this mission to eliminate you."
Then, almost to himself, he muttered, "But why would the Third send you… Could it be he's trying to get rid of you too? Suppressing our clan even further…"
Watching the clan leader worry so deeply, Yusuke felt a pang of sympathy. Not wanting to disturb him further, he stood up and said, "I've already taken up so much of your time today. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
Fugaku snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "Alright. Take the next few days to prepare well. Don't let Danzo get the better of you."
Yusuke acknowledged the advice, gave a few instructions to his new student Itachi, and then left Fugaku's residence.
\---
The next morning, Yusuke brought Kabuto and Izumi to a training ground within the Uchiha compound. This space had been granted by Fugaku at Yusuke's request, now reserved specifically for training his disciples. Though technically only Itachi was his student, Kabuto and Izumi were allowed to tag along—courtesy of Itachi's presence.
Izumi wasn't officially his student, but Yusuke figured she was old enough to begin training. Teaching two or three made little difference, so he decided to include her.
"Itachi? You're here already?" Yusuke asked with a smile when he saw the boy already doing basic exercises.
"I don't like making others wait. I usually arrive a little early," Itachi replied politely.
Yusuke chuckled and ruffled his hair. "You're way too formal, you know that?"
"Itachi-kun! I didn't expect to see you here!" Izumi exclaimed happily. Today, she wore a short purple outfit, her sleek hair tied into a ponytail with a red ribbon.
"You are...?" Itachi looked confused. The girl seemed familiar—cute, too—but he couldn't quite place her.
Izumi's excited expression drooped. "I'm Uchiha Izumi, remember? We're in the same year!"
Itachi gave a small bow, clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."
Seeing him so polite, Izumi waved her hands in a flustered panic. "No, no! It's fine! Really! We'll be training together, so let's be good friends!" Her cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke.
Yusuke raised an eyebrow, noticing how uncharacteristically shy Izumi was acting. She's never like this… Could it be? Don't tell me she's into Itachi? That's definitely not good.
He sighed internally. There was no denying Itachi had what girls liked—handsome, gifted, son of the clan leader. A natural magnet. But Yusuke had zero interest in letting his sister get involved.
Especially since I know Itachi doesn't even like girls… He likes his brother, Yusuke thought grimly.
Guess I'll have to keep an eye on this. Can't let Izumi fall for that pretty face.
After brief introductions between Itachi and Kabuto, Yusuke began their first official lesson.
For beginners, flashy ninjutsu wasn't the focus—solid fundamentals mattered more. So Yusuke taught them a refined method for chakra control and physical conditioning that he had developed himself. All three kids were bright and picked it up quickly, diving into the training with enthusiasm.
They spent two days in intense practice. During this time, Yusuke quietly observed them all.
Itachi was, without question, the most talented. Both his chakra control and taijutsu were outstanding. Kabuto lagged slightly behind in taijutsu but matched Itachi in chakra precision. As for his little sister, Izumi—she was clearly less capable than the other two, but compared to the average person, she still showed promise.
By the evening of the second day, Yusuke gathered the sweat-soaked trio in front of him.
"You've all done great," he said with a smile. "I've been watching, and I'm very pleased with how seriously you've taken your training."
"Kabuto, your chakra control is excellent. For you, I plan to focus on developing ninjutsu. Of course, taijutsu can't be neglected—any truly powerful shinobi mustn't have a weakness in physical combat," Yusuke said thoughtfully.
In truth, Yusuke harbored a secret ambition for Kabuto: to nurture him into a scientific genius surpassing even Orochimaru.
"Itachi, your talents are outstanding across the board. You're a well-rounded ninja, so I'll be holding you to higher standards in every area."
Yusuke was well aware that despite Itachi's near-perfect capabilities, he had one shortcoming—chakra reserves. As his teacher, Yusuke was already considering ways to help him overcome it.
"What about me? What about me?"
Izumi tugged at Yusuke's sleeve with eager eyes, clearly upset that he hadn't mentioned her.
"You, hmm… I'll focus on teaching you defensive techniques, medical ninjutsu, and escape tactics. That way, you won't worry me too much," Yusuke said with a grin, ruffling her hair.
Izumi pouted. "What's that supposed to mean? Am I really that weak?"
"Don't worry, sensei. I'll protect Izumi," Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses with a serious expression.
"I will too. I'll do everything I can to protect her," Itachi added quietly but firmly.
After two days of training together, the trio had grown quite close. Their bond was already solid.
Kabuto, being two years older than the other two, naturally saw himself as the older brother and treated the others with patience and care. Itachi, though younger, was mature beyond his years and subtly looked after both Kabuto and Izumi.
Izumi, though less mentally mature than the boys, had a kind heart and cheerful nature that made her easy to get along with.
"Raising a new generation of Sannin might not be such a bad achievement," Yusuke mused to himself as he looked at the three small figures under the setting sun.
While Izumi's talent wasn't on par with Itachi and Kabuto, she was still decent—and with those two watching her back, she could afford to take it a bit easier.
That evening, Itachi returned home. His parents, Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, were waiting for him at the dinner table.
"Itachi, you must be tired after a full day of training. Come eat," Mikoto said with a gentle smile. Her belly was noticeably bigger now—clearly, the baby wasn't far from being born.
"How's training going these past few days? Yusuke's not only young but already a jōnin with impressive skill. I doubt it's all just talent—he probably has some very effective training methods. You need to learn everything you can from him," Fugaku said while pouring himself a cup of sake.
"You're right. His methods are extremely efficient. It's only been two days, but I feel like I've improved significantly," Itachi replied seriously, sitting cross-legged at the table.
"I'm curious about your teacher too. I heard he's only around fourteen or fifteen? What's he like?" Mikoto asked with interest.
"He's… kind of awkward."
"He's two-faced," Itachi added.
Their words overlapped—Fugaku called him awkward, while Itachi labeled him two-faced.
Mikoto giggled behind her hand. "Now that's an interesting pair of descriptions. What do you mean?"
Fugaku took another drink of sake and said, "That kid acts like he couldn't care less about the clan, but deep down, I can tell he does. He's just too proud to show it. Isn't that awkward?"
It seemed Fugaku was in an uncharacteristically good mood that night—and a bit tipsy, too. He wasn't as stern and composed as usual.
Seeing his mother look to him curiously, Itachi added calmly, "He comes off cold and detached, but I can feel that he's actually very warm-hearted."
He had originally wanted to describe Yusuke as cold outside, warm inside, but in his good mood, he decided to joke a little instead.
As for Yusuke, the subject of their conversation, he was busy rummaging through boxes at home.
After some time, he finally pulled out a thick, dusty scroll and handed it to Kabuto.
Kabuto accepted it solemnly and read the title aloud:
"Mastering Ninjutsu in 21 Days: From Beginner to Expert?"
"That's right! This is a ninjutsu guidebook I wrote myself. While I'm away, aside from chakra control and taijutsu training, you're to study this thoroughly. When I get back, there will be a test," Yusuke said firmly.
Kabuto nodded seriously. "Don't worry, sensei. I won't let you down!"
After leaving Yusuke's room, scroll in hand, Kabuto gazed up at the full moon hanging in the night sky. Meanwhile, Yusuke's heart was heavy with unease.
He had a feeling—an ominous premonition—that this diplomatic mission to Amegakure was going to be more than it seemed.
—
The next morning, Yusuke arrived at the village gates on time to meet with the envoy headed to Amegakure, led by Danzo.
Aside from Danzo himself, the rest of the envoy had already gathered.
Yusuke didn't wait long before Danzo appeared, flanked by two loyal subordinates.
Dressed in a half-black, half-white kimono, Danzo's face, right eye, and part of his chest were wrapped tightly in bandages. An X-shaped scar stood out under his chin.
Danzo swept his sharp, cold gaze across the assembled shinobi. Most of them avoided eye contact, lowering their heads.
But when his eyes reached Yusuke, Yusuke felt a distinct flash of killing intent. He immediately met Danzo's gaze.
Danzo paused, their eyes locking—Yusuke's expression calm and unyielding. After a moment, Danzo looked away and turned toward the direction of Amegakure.
"Move out!" he commanded.